August 21, 2011

I am working with my cousins to plan our 2012 family reunion. I am not a big part of the planning process. My main task is to complete research on the Seals and Wright families back to 1870 and complete a book of some sort that will be available for each family at the reunion.

Because I am prone to disorganization, I am spending the day not only organizing existing information but creating a detailed task list tied to my outlook calendar so that everyday there is a reminder that are things to do. I am also going to brainstorm about how to best present this information accurately in what seems like a short time (10 months)!

I am very excited that my family has asked me to do this! It often seems that I discuss the family history more with people outside the family than actual relatives.

July 5, 2011

Well your Aunt Kate, we called her Kate but her name was Virginia, anyway I have her original birth certificate and it says Letha Ann on it

So began the family history overview with my Aunt Louise. I just sat there shaking my head and my aunt just smiled. You know almost everyone had different names she told me. Like Uncle Pap, he was really Prentiss. While she talked, I scratched through notes and tried to grasp the entire family line of multiple Prentisses, Ediths and Eulas plus the never-ending initials – LA, MC, and NF. What do the initials stand for? Nothing.

Then Aunt Louise had an idea. We were thinking too big, trying to map too much at once. We were going to pick one family group and begin there. No more looking at the WRIGHTS and the SEALS. We were picking one family and sticking with it no matter what fascinating document we found or family lore that we happened upon.

We created our family group sheet
James Mann Wright married Sallie Seals in 1900 Oktibbeha County (no record located at Archives, will have to contact county)
Their children were Mattie, Prentiss, Edith, Eula, LA, Letha Ann (died in infancy), NF and MC.

Aunt Louise is going to record all the memories that she has of her mother’s siblings and the stories about her grandparents. I will complete the document research and we are going to get this family mapped out!